So I’d like some opinions here

[Undecided 78]

I will be having my oath ceremony on Monday (hurrah), but I have a slight issue that I don’t know how to address. Turns out since my middle name wasn’t on my birth certificate, and because I didn’t want to wait for a court ceremony in the middle of a pandemic, I will be losing this middle name on naturalization. I don’t have an issue about this but it’s on most of my documentation. Drivers license, ss card most credit cards etc. etc. The most important thing for me to do personally is register to vote and I don’t think that will be an issue. But after that? My license doesn’t expire until next year, I’m not planning to change my job so I’m unlikely to need to display my social security card and while I’m going to apply for a passport, I’m not getting on a plane in the near future.

 

So basically - what would you do first?

 

I’ve even considered actually applying to the local court for a name change to get my middle name back. Fees etc will be a thing and of course time, but as I say - being naturalized in time to vote in November was my primary considerations. And really I’m not as attached to my middle name as much as it seems to be attached to me. 
 

So what order would you do this? 

[Canerican 242]

8 hours ago, Undecided said:

I will be having my oath ceremony on Monday (hurrah), but I have a slight issue that I don’t know how to address. Turns out since my middle name wasn’t on my birth certificate, and because I didn’t want to wait for a court ceremony in the middle of a pandemic, I will be losing this middle name on naturalization. I don’t have an issue about this but it’s on most of my documentation. Drivers license, ss card most credit cards etc. etc. The most important thing for me to do personally is register to vote and I don’t think that will be an issue. But after that? My license doesn’t expire until next year, I’m not planning to change my job so I’m unlikely to need to display my social security card and while I’m going to apply for a passport, I’m not getting on a plane in the near future.

 

So basically - what would you do first?

 

I’ve even considered actually applying to the local court for a name change to get my middle name back. Fees etc will be a thing and of course time, but as I say - being naturalized in time to vote in November was my primary considerations. And really I’m not as attached to my middle name as much as it seems to be attached to me. 
 

So what order would you do this? 

i would do Social Security card first if they are open then Driver License. I updated mine and had to pay a whole new fee. I would register to vote at the ceremony if possible. Last I would do your passport. 

[Wuozopo 4,293]

@Undecided

 

After I got my naturalization, both Social Security and the DMV required my name to match my naturalization certificate and USCIS records. They both issued new cards
 

You can register to vote immediately and many ceremonies have volunteers there to assist with that. With smaller ceremonies due to Covid, that might not be offered, but you can go to your county and do it yourself.

 

Next might be DMV because my state uses driver licenses to show at the polls. Not familiar with others. However if your DL doesn’t exactly match your voter registration, they likely have a verification option. My wife has to initial something when she votes because of a slight mismatch of middle name. 
 

SSN and US passport can wait a bit if voting is your priority.  Passport requires mailing off your original certificate, so maybe do SSN before mailing off certificate.

Edited August 14, 2020 by Wuozopo

[Undecided 78]

Yes I think I’m going to have to call the dmv (which I am dreading) with regard to the name change. I was hoping to be able to do it online but no dice from what I can see. And yes, I think I will go to the county election bureau and register in person if there’s no one at the ceremony because I’m sure they will need to see my naturalization certificate. With regard to ID when voting my state will permit certain non photo ID when voting in person, so I’m guessing that the naturalization certificate would work for that should I choose to vote in person. But I’ll probably vote by mail due to this pandemic. I might be able to register online, however such registration requires either a drivers license number or a ss number and I’m wondering if the name mismatch will cause problems, hence doing it in person.

 

Oh well, first world problems I suppose.

[Wuozopo 4,293]

6 hours ago, Undecided said:

With regard to ID when voting my state will permit certain non photo ID when voting in person, so I’m guessing that the naturalization certificate would work for that should I choose to vote in person.

 
I was thinking you would get registered on the county voting rolls by your naturalization certificate. So in the precinct voter list  they have at the polls you are  JOHN SMITH. at 123 Happy Ln.

You go with your current driver license that says JOHN DAVID SMITH at 123 Happy Ln

They let you vote even if you don’t change your license name by maybe initialing the list or something because it is close enough to verify it is you. 
 

When we check in, my wife’s pops up on the screen as “slight mismatch” and she has to click something swearing she is the same person....kinda like when you click the box that you agree to the privacy policy on a website.

 

Edited August 14, 2020 by Wuozopo

[Undecided 78]

Interesting. I actually think that in my state the naturalization certificate is acceptable both to register and to prove identity when voting. Although I suspect that I will be able to get my license updated  to my “new” name by November 3rd. Which would solve that problem.

[xyz12345 260]

On 8/13/2020 at 11:27 PM, Undecided said:

I will be having my oath ceremony on Monday (hurrah), but I have a slight issue that I don’t know how to address. Turns out since my middle name wasn’t on my birth certificate, and because I didn’t want to wait for a court ceremony in the middle of a pandemic, I will be losing this middle name on naturalization. I don’t have an issue about this but it’s on most of my documentation. Drivers license, ss card most credit cards etc. etc. The most important thing for me to do personally is register to vote and I don’t think that will be an issue. But after that? My license doesn’t expire until next year, I’m not planning to change my job so I’m unlikely to need to display my social security card and while I’m going to apply for a passport, I’m not getting on a plane in the near future.

 

So basically - what would you do first?

 

I’ve even considered actually applying to the local court for a name change to get my middle name back. Fees etc will be a thing and of course time, but as I say - being naturalized in time to vote in November was my primary considerations. And really I’m not as attached to my middle name as much as it seems to be attached to me. 
 

So what order would you do this? 

1) Register to vote

2) Passport

3) SS -  I think the waiting for 10 days after oath is still valid. However, I've read some posts here that SS just asks people to send in their nat cert. People have done that and had received their nat cert back.

 

#s 2-3 can be interchangeable. Up to you if it's worth the risk if SS is not open. Passport application can be fast acc to the passport tracker here... even in june/july (can be 1 month) but may range 2-4 months. Are you doing in person voting or mail in ballot? Do they need your new DL if you have to do in person voting?

 

4) DMV - DMV requires you to have updated SS info

 

If SS is open:

Register to vote, SS, DMV, passport

Edited August 15, 2020 by xyz12345

[Undecided 78]

51 minutes ago, xyz12345 said:

1) Register to vote

2) Passport

3) SS -  I think the waiting for 10 days after oath is still valid. However, I've read some posts here that SS just asks people to send in their nat cert. People have done that and had received their nat cert back.

 

#s 2-3 can be interchangeable. Up to you if it's worth the risk if SS is not open. Passport application can be fast acc to the passport tracker here... even in june/july (can be 1 month) but may range 2-4 months. Are you doing in person voting or mail in ballot? Do they need your new DL if you have to do in person voting?

 

4) DMV - DMV requires you to have updated SS info

 

If SS is open:

Register to vote, SS, DMV, passport

Your number 4 - really? My dmv doesn’t make any mention of ss when it comes to changing my name. I can do it with an official document (which my naturalization certificate surely is). Or are you talking about states that have totally implemented Real ID? Mine hasn’t. But I can see that it could be necessary in that situation. I will see how it works out though. If the ss amendment is necessary to get a new license, I’ll definitely update here for other people’s information.
 

Thank you.

 

edit re ID for voting - in my state the naturalization certificate should be sufficient if voting in person. I’m still dithering about mail in/in person voting.

Edited August 15, 2020 by Undecided

[xyz12345 260]

6 hours ago, Undecided said:

Your number 4 - really? My dmv doesn’t make any mention of ss when it comes to changing my name. I can do it with an official document (which my naturalization certificate surely is). Or are you talking about states that have totally implemented Real ID? Mine hasn’t. But I can see that it could be necessary in that situation. I will see how it works out though. If the ss amendment is necessary to get a new license, I’ll definitely update here for other people’s information.
 

Thank you.

 

edit re ID for voting - in my state the naturalization certificate should be sufficient if voting in person. I’m still dithering about mail in/in person voting.

Yes in Florida, SS has to be updated first before dmv if there's name change. We have real ID.

[xyz12345 260]

For me if SS is open : register, ss/dmv, passport. Are you getting a passport card or Global Entry? They can serve as real ID. MIght as well get either one because if you have to change your DL this year and if it's not even real ID compliant, you still need to have a real ID to fly domestically after Oct 2021. But then again, you can always use your passport book.

Edited August 15, 2020 by xyz12345